


To Build a Home

by wellthatjusthappend



Category: Batman - All Media Types, Under the Red Hood
Genre: Angst, Budding relationships, Child Abuse, Fluff, Healing, Jason will always be secretly meant to be a dad in my books, M/M, Neglect, Rating May Change, and red fam is a not-so-secret weakness, band of misfits become family, more the fact that it exist than things that are written about, underage for damicolin
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-05-29
Updated: 2016-08-30
Packaged: 2018-07-10 20:26:28
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,541
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7005115
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wellthatjusthappend/pseuds/wellthatjusthappend
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Jason was determined to never be like Bruce. He refused to be the type of person who would take on a bunch of pity case orphans and train them into his own personal army against crime.<br/>...But he also wasn't the type of person who could sit by and watch someone suffer when he could do something about it.<br/>So for now at least, it looked like he had himself a kid.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [TimmyJaybird](https://archiveofourown.org/users/TimmyJaybird/gifts).



> Thank You to TimmyJaybird for this idea! I've been meaning to write it for them for an age and a half and never got around to it. But here we are!
> 
> Really short start, think of it like an intro/prologue

Jason ducked under a overhang of a building as the Gotham rain poured down without mercy. In a normal place rain was something that washed away filth. Here in the narrows, it got rid of the smoky smell of cars and wood-fires heating homes that were too poor to afford electricity and instead of freshness the rain revealed the ever present rotting stench of this part of the city more clearly.

“Home sweet home.” Muttered Jason lighting up a cigarette. It probably sounded like a joke. The real joke was that it was kind of true. Jason had grown up on these streets of filth. He knew their every twisting nook and cranny and all the debauchery they hid in their dark shadows. Even when Bruce had taken him in, he'd never really fit into that glittering world of wealth. 

For all its faults, there was nowhere Jason felt more at ease than these corrupted streets. 

His phone rang.

“What?” He answered it blowing out a stream of smoke.

“Just checking if you were alive out there.” Roy’s voice crackled through the poor connection of the storm, “looks like the city's underwater. The Princess was getting worried.”

“You talking about Kori or Lian?” Teased Jason laughing around his cigarette.

“Who do you think? If it was Kori she'd be out to retrieve your ass already.”

“Noted.” Grinned Jason, “Tell Lian to go ahead to sleep. I'll be back as soon as this rain lets up a bit.” 

“Will do, Jaybird, see you soon.” Roy hung up. Jason smiled at his phone for a moment before tucking it into the inside coat pocket to keep it safe from the rain. 

They took on less missions since Lian had turned their threesome into a party of four. Kori was more prone to wander off on solo missions nowadays while Jason and Roy traded off on babysitting duty and patrol. 

Jason knew Roy didn't expect him to help, but Jason had always really liked kids and Lian was- frankly- a delight. Plus, Roy was one of the few genuine friends Jason had had in a long time. If that meant helping him out with his kid, then Jason certainly didn't mind. 

Not to mention the fact that the little girl made their band of misfits feel more and more like a family, something Jason had been longing for since, well,  _ forever. _

Jason was about to step back out into the rain when he saw the slight flicker of movement in the shadows.

“Who's there?” Jason growled softly fingering the handle of his gun. After a moment of squinting he saw that there was a person tucked into the space between the dumpster. After another moment he realized he  _ knew  _ that person.

“Hey, aren't you the kid that's always tailing after the daemon brat?” Jason asked crouching down next to the dumpster. The redhead boy glanced up at him and Jason had to struggle not to react to the sheer hopeless emptiness in the boy’s gaze. 

“You're Dami’s older brother.” The kid realized after a moment unconsciously uncurling from his defensive pose ever so slightly. 

“Well, no, but I was one of those cape wearing idiots at one point too.” Shrugged Jason, he remembered Dick saying the kid knew about them, had a persona of his own out on the streets, but what he couldn't understand was… “So how come you're out here in the rain?”

“Just cuz.” Mumbled the kid- Colin if he remembered correctly, looked away- his expression closing off completely. 

Oh boy, thought Jason with a grimace. 

“Oh yeah, because I sit out in shit weather for kicks too all the time.” Said Jason dryly letting his narrows accent bleed into his voice. The kids head snapped up so quickly it was almost funny, “honestly kid, you know who I am, you think I am going to go running to the police or make you go back to wherever you ran away from?”

“It's… Not a big deal.” The boy mumbled after a while, “the orphanage just shut me out for the night. Probably punishment for getting sent back by another foster home.”

Jason scowled. That was technically not allowed, but legal things always mattered less in the narrows. 

“You know you could always call Dickhead or Damian. You can bet they'd tell those bastards where to shove it.” Jason said bluntly. 

“Yeah…” Muttered Colin, his shoulders hunching inwards, “I know it's stupid, but I don't want Damian to see me like this. Like, he lives in this great big castle of a house and he's always giving me stuff already and there's no way I can ever pay any of it back  _ already _ and here I am sitting in a bunch of trash and mud right where I belong-”

“Why don't you come back with me?” Jason offered suddenly, because he got that. He understood that feeling a little  _ too _ well. And he kinda felt like putting a bullet in the heads of people who thought it was funny to shut kids like this out into the rain. 

“With you?” Echoed Colin confused. 

“Yeah,” shrugged Jason as if it was no big deal, “me and my team don't live far from here. Nothing fancy I promise. Actually it's kind of shit. But it's out of the rain and warm and that's what matters. You can stay till the rain lets up and I promise I won't tell the rich pricks about this.”

The boy stared at him with his mouth hanging slightly open. Then he smiled.

“Sure.” He said taking Jason's offered hand and getting to his feet.

“I'd understand if you didn't want to; you hardly know me and I am sure Damian doesn't have particularly nice things to say about me.” Jason said even as he started leading him through the rain. 

The kid just shook his head.

“Everybody knows the Red Hood protects kids and ladies of the night.” Said Colin matter of factly. 

“Do they now?” Jason laughed. Shaking his head he pulled out his phone to call Roy and tell him that they had company.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> perhaps this will be the story of mini chapters? just whenever I randomly have time kind of deal

“Bye Jay!” Lian waved at him wildly from the gate of her school where she was lining up with the other kids. Jason waved back letting a small laugh huff out through his nose. He’d been against setting Lian up at a school in Gotham at first. He’d grown up there after all. He knew the ways that it twisted and corrupted. He knew the crazies that ran around it despite the vigilantes best efforts and how dangerous it was. 

But Roy was adamant. Lian needed the stability and structure that going everyday to school would offer. Not that they weren’t perfectly capable of home schooling her on the go, but it’d be chaotic and probably not good for Roy’s relationship with his daughter. They were both so stubborn. Not that Jason could really talk. And Lian was already so extroverted, she needed a social setting that was much broader than a bunch of adult or teen vigilantes… around kids her own age. Central City was too happy-go-lucky for either of them, Starling held too much bad blood for Roy, Metropolis had mr-i’m-going-to-blind-you-with-my-smile-and-how-perfect-I-am… so yeah. Gotham. 

Thanks to Tim, these days Jason was a least fairly tolerated by the rest of the bats so long as he didn’t do anything right in their face. And he never could really stay away from the shit-hole of a city very long. There was a part of him that never really clicked into place until he was out wandering the familiar, filthy, cracked, twisted streets. It was home. And some part of Jason would always be that kid from the Narrows. 

It was probably why Roy had insisted; he wanted to put down roots in the place Jason would always return to.

Jason lit up a cigaret as Lian filed inside and he lost sight of her. He felt anxious. Like a parent on their kid’s first day of school. Which was stupid because Lian was and always would be  _ Roy’s _ kid. And Jason might have played a pretty big part so far in raising her but… he imagined she probably saw him as some weird uncle. Sort of like Auntie Kori. He was her dad’s best friend that sometimes went out at night and blew up bad guys together. She’d seen them on the news too many times to not know.

Without meaning to Jason’s feet carried him through the longer way back to the where they were living. Jason never knew how he felt when he wandered through the Narrows during the daytime. Seeing once familiar places again brought up so many… things.

_ There’s the rooftop where I used to scoop out possible targets for pickpocketing… and there’s that garbage dump where I slept that one time in the winter when it was snowing so hard… there’s the alleyway where mom used to pick up clients… and Old Gam’s little window at the bakery where she hands out extra scraps from the day to the street kids… They’re all queued up and it’s not even noon yet, jesus. _

Jason shook his head and was going to move on when he caught sight of a familiar stock of red hair amongst the street urchins.

“Thought they ‘least fed you at that crap orphanage of yours.” commented Jason picking his way over broken pavement to come lean on the wall by Colin who about jumped out of his skin when he saw him.

“They do. ‘Cept they took away my meal privileges this week because I got suspended at school again.” Colin shrugged.

“And they say they have no idea why so many of their wardens turn to crime.” Jason said dispassionately, “Honestly, how else do they expect you to eat?”

“What are you doing out here?” Colin asked shifting from foot to foot, not quite meeting his eyes. His stay with them that night in the rain had been brief. They’d given him some dry clothes and a spot on the couch. Jason had set out some food if the kid wanted it, but he wasn’t surprised Colin never made any move to take it. Even as a friend of Damian’s, you don’t just eat food from people you don’t know in the Narrows. You just don’t. Colin stayed curled up in a blanket and hadn’t slept a wink. Just stayed up  _ watching _ and hyper-vigilant with bright green eyes that were tracking escape roots from the house despite how obviously exhausted he was. At dawn, when the downpour had let up, Colin had slipped away with a mumbled thanks. Jason had wanted to stop him, knew Roy was struggling not to even more, but they’d held back for the same reasons. 

“Dropping Lian off to school. Roy was in project-mode.” shrugged Jason.

“Oh. Right. Forgot you guys live around here.” Colin said twisting at the frayed cuffs of his jacket.

“Okay, spit it out. You got something to say?” Jason asked raising an eyebrow when Colin seemed to be chewing on his tongue and glancing at Jason out of the corners of his eyes.

“Jus’ you know, aren’t you really rich? Why’re you living  _ here _ when you could be somewhere respectable.” Colin blurted. Jason grinned at his spunk even as Colin looked a bit sheepish.

“Just cuz Wayne is loaded doesn’t mean I get to used his money. Disappointment of the family, remember? Or has Damian not given you that particular lecture?” Asked Jason dryly.

“Oh.” said Colin awkwardly.

“Anyway, even if he did offer, I wouldn’t take his money. I don’t like being someone’s charity case, especially not  _ his _ .” Jason grimaced slightly.

“Yeah… I think I get that.” Colin nodded slowly.

“I just bet you do. And I’m sure it drives the baby bat up the wall.” snorted Jason putting out his cigaret on the wall.

“A bit.” admitted Colin, his lip twitching upwards. 

“Say, if you’re suspended, that means you’ve got a bit of free-time on your hands right?” observed Jason as a thought struck him.

“I guess.” Colin said shrugging, looking wary again.

“Hmm, tell you what kid, my friend Roy likes to try to work himself to death on his crazy projects but if you could come ‘round and help him out- y’know, make sure he doesn’t burn the house down or blow anything up- I’ll cook you food till your suspension is up.” Jason bargained. Mostly because he suspected that Colin would never accept free meals from him, and he wasn’t likely to get much from the bread window or the other homeless soup-kitchen type places around town.

“Wait, really?” Colin asked eyes going wide.

“Really,” Jason shrugged, “Honestly we could use the help, and it’s not much trouble to add a little extra when I am making a meal for a extra person.”

“Yes. I- Yes, I’ll work hard I promise.” Colin said his mouth setting stubbornly. 

Jason felt a certain fondness start to creep into him. This kid was… yeah. Yeah. This kid was pretty alright in Jason’s books.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really just write little drabbels of fluff and when they get long enough I post a chapter

“Lian!” Called Jason as he scraped the contents of a pot into a serving pan.

“Busy. Interrupting is bad.” Lian replied from the floor where she was was sprawled on her stomach coloring with a look of absolute concentration on her small face. Jason raised an eyebrow.

“Ah but if you don’t eat you’ll shrink so small people might step on you.” Jason warned and made a show of pretend stepping on the little girl while she shrieked and swatted his sock covered foot.

“No! Jay stop it!” she grinned and sat up, pushing back her hair from her forehead with both her small hands.

“Hmm, I consider it.” teased Jason for a moment before tickling her again.

“Jay!” she shrieked, high enough pitch to make Jason wince.

“Okay, okay,” Jason relented before pointing at her sternly with his spatula, “Now go put away your work on your shelf so it stays safe and then go call your Daddy and Colin up for dinner.”

“What are we having?” asked Lian gathering up her papers and crayons dutifully.

“Mac ’n Cheese.” Jason said with a straight face.

“Success.” she said with an expression that looked so very  _ Roy _ that Jason had to turn away so she wouldn’t see him grin. Then the next second she was taking off across the house to fling open the door to the workshop and holler down the stairs, “DADDY! COLIN! GET YOUR BUTTS UP HERE! WE’RE HAVING MAC ’N CHEESE!”

“Okay Princess! We’ll be up, one sec!” Jason heard Roy call faintly back. He shook his head slightly and pulled the pasta from the oven and carried it to the table.

“They're coming.” Lian skipped happily back to him and started to clamber onto her chair.

“Then you better go wash your hands, little miss.” Jason replied without missing a beat. 

“I already did.”

“No you didn't, I was watching.” Jason said grabbing 4 plates from the cupboards.

“I did! You weren't looking.” Lian insisted.

“Nuh-uh, I've got eyes in the back of my head. All grown-ups do, remember?” Jason said seriously. Lian’s shoulders sagged in defeat and she started dragging her feet towards the bathroom.

“Man Jay, maybe we should apprentice the princess to Dinah or something when she get’s old. I swear, she’s got the canary scream in the works already.” winced Roy coming up the stairs with Colin trailing behind with an uncertain smile. 

“But then you might have to talk to Ollie.” Jason reminded him.

“Shoot. Well never mind then. We’ll just have to let my crazy girl decide her own future I guess.” Roy said with a dramatic sigh.

“As if she’d allow for anything else. Speaking of which, can you go supervise handwashing? It’s been long enough that either she’s letting the water run to pretend she’s washing or she’s decided to make bubble castles again.” Jason said giving Roy a dry look.

“You have a point my friend.” grimaced Roy and hurried off.

“I assume you already washed up.” said Jason nodding to Colin as the boy hurried to help him get out silverware.

“Yeah… ‘m Got all covered in grease earlier so there wasn’t much for it. Mr. Harper and me made som’ cool stuff though.” Colin gave him a toothy grin, which Jason found himself mimicking. 

The boy was like a little light in the house. Lian was different. She had been- no, still was- a fire-cracker of life that’d crashed into their lives and forced them all to behave a little more responsibility. Mostly Roy, but when Jason had decided to stay and help out his friend he’d also had to take pause and change some habits. Little things like not cussing so much and not smoking around the house anymore… and some bigger things like not rigging his safe houses with explosives, keeping weapons more securely away where curious little fingers wouldn’t get them, being more careful about people who saw him and might trace him back home. 

With Colin it almost felt like… healing. Some very young part of Jason that was still stuck all alone and hurt on the streets in the Narrows… the pain from that part of him, Jason swore it lessened every time Colin smiled and choose to trust them.

“I thought we were having Mac’n Cheese?” Colin said curiously tilting his head at the lasagna on the table.

“Well, the princess has decided recently that she doesn’t like any pasta but Mac’n Cheese,” Jason explained glancing at the doorway to make sure Roy and Lian weren’t coming back yet, “So, since then, we’ve have all different kinds of Mac ‘n Cheese…. Mac ‘n cheese with meat, Mac ‘n Cheese with tomato sauce, Mac ‘n Cheese with green stuff…”

“Aha.” grinned Colin with sudden understanding.

“Alright.” huffed Roy coming back dripping with soap suds still glistening in his hair and a soaking, giggling, girl wrapped in a towel tucked under his arm, “Who’s hungry?”

* * *

 

Jason deliberated for a bit on the front steps of the church that Colin lived at. It looked dreary and made him think of all the nights he spent hiding from Child Services after his mom died. He didn’t know what he would have done if he’d ended up in a place like this. Would he have gotten shifted from family to family? Would he have ended up just staying at the Church like Colin? Or would he have just run away?

Remembering the way he was when he was kid, probably the latter.

So far he’d been pretty good about staying away from this place. He knew that this was Colin’s space, and Colin had been rather uncomfortable about the idea of any of them there so he’d tried to respect that. He knew what it was like that have mixed feelings about a place. About somewhere that held so many memories and emotions associated with it that there was no way it could be neutral. 

He knew Damian came here some nights, but he was definitely not Damian and wasn’t sure his presence would be welcomed.

Still, Colin had forgotten his homework at the house and the boy had worked so hard on it, Jason didn’t like the idea of him getting punished for not having it done so he’d decided to bring it to him directly.

“Can I help you… sir?” asked one of the sisters inside, clearly eyeing the amount of leather he was wearing with thinly veiled wariness. 

“Erm, I’m here for Colin? He forgot this.” Jason said politely raising the folder in his hand.

“Colin who?” she asked getting out a clipboard and looking at him expectantly.

“Erm…” Jason abruptly realized he’d never heard anyone mention the kid’s last name. Instead he smiled at her in a way that he hoped look charming, “Sorry Ma’am, you’re going to have to help me out. His name’s Colin, red hair, lots of freckles, ‘bout this tall?”

“Oh!” she suddenly smiled at him, “You must mean Colin  _ Wilkes _ .”

“Yeah,”Jason brightened a bit. The name did sound familiar. The sister’s eyes seemed to get a little caught on something on his face and her cheeks tinged the slightest bit pink despite her darker skin.

Maybe it was the weather?

“Would- would you like to have some coffee while I ask someone to go see if he’s in?” did she look hopeful? Jason frowned.

“No need for that ma’am. If he’s not in I’ll just drop this at his room?” Jason said apologetically, “I promised my friend I’d pick his little girl up from school today, I can’t really stay.”

“Oh.” She seemed almost disappointed, “Okay then mister -?”

“Todd.” Jason said, because it was very unlikely anyone would know him here, even less likely that anyone would believe he was Bruce Wayne’s dead ward even if they did.

“Well, right this way Mr. Todd.” she lead him further inside. The walls were made of stone and gave the place a bit of chill. There were a couple of skinny young kids in faded clothing playing ball in the courtyard. But otherwise the place felt… almost oppressive.

“Colin is a good boy.” the sister said after a moment or two as they walked, “He’s got a bad attendance record, but he’s always very polite and good with the younger ones.”

“He is.” Jason said smiling fondly. 

“Are you… Looking to adopt Mr. Todd?” she asked hesitantly.

“Huh?” Jason blinked taken by surprise.

“I just mean,” the sister said hurriedly, “That people who come here that aren’t doing charity work are usually- Ah but Colin is too old to be adopted I suppose.”

“What would he be then? If not adopted, I mean.” Jason asked curiously.

“Usually fostered or put with a permanent guardian till he turns 18.” the sister shrugged, “But he’s been to too many homes, the system probably won’t move him again before he comes of age unless someone makes a case for him. I doubt anyone will though, poor dear.”

“And when he comes of age? What then?” asked Jason frowning.

“Well… then he’s an adult.” the sister said in slight confusion, “he’ll take care of himself then.”

“I see…” Jason pursed his lips. That wasn’t going to work. Not for Colin whose grades weren’t the best from being moved around and skipping class because of his vigilante activities, who had police arrests(albite for running away from homes or wandering too late after dark by himself) on his record. He wouldn’t get a job. Not a good one anyway. And he’d never accept Damian’s charity.

“Here we are,” said the sister opening a small door, “It looks like he’s not in. You can just put it on his bed.”

Jason ducked to step into the cramped little closet of a room. There was a camper bed on the ground and a dresser stuffed into the remaining space between the wall. There were drawings by Damian tacked onto the wall, but otherwise it looked like the room was barely lived in. 

Something like determination clicked on inside Jason.   


* * *

 

“How would you feel about sharing a room?” Jason asked leaning against Roy's work bench. 

“S’fine with me.” Frowned Roy turning off his music and swiveling on his chair to face him, “but why? Something wrong with your room?” 

“Nothing's wrong with my room I was just wondering.” Jason said defensively glowering at him.

“Okay, never have I ever heard you sound so guilty. Is this like the time you stole Kori’s underwear?” Asked Roy frowning. 

“First of all, I did not steal her underwear they got mixed up in my laundry and I was trying to figure out how to give them back.” Jason corrected him folding his arms.

“It's okay Jason, if I had legs like yours I'd want to see how I looked like in purple panties too.” Grinned Roy. 

He had to duck the next second as Jason threw something large and heavy at his head. 

“No but seriously,” Roy said with a grin at the glower that was  _ almost  _ a pout Jason was wearing, “what's up with your room?”

“I told you it's nothing.” Jason insisted.

“-And I took that as another white lie in our friendship that I was going to ignore.” Finished Roy for him.

He got a glare that would have had weaker men than him quivering in their boots.

“C'mon Jaybird, let me know what's going on in that head of yours.” Roy coaxed. 

“I…” Jason hesitated, “I went over and dropped Colin off at that church he lives at and I got to see the little broom closet they're keeping him in. Honestly Roy, he barely fits in the dumb thing. It's no place to sleep let alone live.”

“You're thinking of offering him your room.” Concluded Roy in mild surprise, “I suppose it makes sense, he stays here often enough. It technically would be kidnapping since he's underage and all, but I suppose Bruce did it with all of you-”

“I was actually thinking of becoming his guardian. Legally and all so he wouldn't keep having to worry about getting into trouble when he goes out at night and has a safe place to return to.” Admitted Jason, his shoulders hunching inward in a way that told Roy that this was both something that he felt insecure about and something he  _ really _ wanted. 

“Oh. My. God.” Roy slowly grinned standing up.

“What?!” Snapped Jason. 

“You want to adopt the kid. You want to have a baby!” Roy crowed.

“Harper I swear-”

“Oh my god Jay! We’re going to have a baby!” Laughed Roy picking Jason up an spinning him around.

“Who said anything about ‘we’? And set me down Harper before I blow your brains out.” Jason growled. 

“Obviously I claim the right to be co-dad.” scoffed Roy still not setting him down. Jason was staring at him with an odd look in his teal eyes. 

“Why would I want that? We’re not a family.” Muttered Jason looking away.

“Uh, news flash Jaybird, we totally are.” Said Roy rolling his eyes, “if you haven't noticed, you're definitely dad #2 for Lian. And don't you dare say otherwise or you'll break her heart.”

Jason mumbled something his cheeks flushing adorably. He looked so cute. Not that Roy would say that out loud. He kind of valued his balls.

“I haven’t even asked him yet. He might not want to.” Jason said more clearly after a moment, “I just wanted to check in and see if we had the space. And even if he does say yes, it might be tricky getting custody.”

“So? They give you shit you can just bully Bruce into pulling strings.” said Roy waving his hand.

“I don’t think-” Jason began, uncomfortable insecurity starting to rise up.

“And if  _ he _ gives you shit we can always psyche Dick onto him. You know he’s a bleeding heart about things like this and he already adores the kid.” Roy reasoned.

“...Colin still might say no.” Jason said at last. 

“He might,” agreed Roy, stepping closer and grasping his arm warmly, “But I really really hope he says yes.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I adore Colin. And Jason. And Roy. And Lian. 
> 
> I just adore the Red Fam okay? They all need a little more happiness in their lives then what the comics give them.

**Author's Note:**

> I have no idea what updates will be like since I am starting a new job. But hopefully not too bad.
> 
> Come bother me on [Tumblr! ](https://wellthatjusthappend.tumblr.com/)


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